The Fundamentals of the Basketball Jump Stop

The jump stop is a fundamental basketball move that can help you avoid traveling when catching the ball or dribbling.

There are numerous moves new basketball players will attempt to master when they step onto the court.

One of the most important is the jump stop.

“Coming to a jump stop is one of the first fundamentals all players must learn in the game of basketball,” former college basketball player Kristin Ronai says. “Coming to a jump stop allows you to stop and control [by] landing on both feet simultaneously so you don’t travel.”

HOW TO

To practice the jump stop:

• Start by dribbling the basketball forward.
• As you pick up your dribble, you’ll jump forward and land on both feet simultaneously.
• You should land on the balls of your feet, shoulder width apart. You’ll want your knees bent, hips down, back straight, eyes up and the ball resting in your shot pocket. Your shot pocket is when you have the ball in front of your body to one side. You should have your hand, elbow and arm behind the ball with your off hand on the ball to help protect it.

In this position, you’re now ready to make a basketball play.

“It is important to learn the jump stop before advancing to more footwork off the dribble so that you can pivot off of either foot,” Ronai says.

Players new to basketball will need to work on a variety of skills to help avoid traveling calls. In addition to the jump stop, players should also work on front pivots.